Colin McNaughton facts for kids

Colin McNaughton, born on May 18, 1951, is a talented British writer and illustrator. He has created more than seventy children's books. He is also known for his funny poems for kids. Colin studied graphic design and illustration in London. Today, he lives in London.

Early Life and Inspiration

Colin McNaughton was born in Wallsend, Northumberland, in 1951. His dad worked in a shipyard, and his mom was a school dinner lady. When he was a child, no one expected him to become a famous children's book creator. There were no books at home, but there were always comics. These comics, with their silly, physical comedy (called slapstick), really influenced him. This type of humor still shows up in his work today.

Creating Books

Colin McNaughton's first book was published while he was still studying at the Royal College of Art. His picture books are full of energy and often use comic-strip styles. They sometimes feel like a long joke.

He once said, "When I was little, adults always told me to 'Stop Being Silly' and to 'Stop Messing About'. It took me too many years to realize these were the only two things I was good at! Now, it's what I do all day. It's how I write my books: I get an idea and I mess about with it. I do silly things with it. I play with it."

Popular Book Series

One of McNaughton's popular series is the Preston Pig books. These include Suddenly!, Boo!, Oops!, Goal!, Hmm... and Shh (Don't Tell Mister Wolf!). In these stories, Preston Pig always has exciting close calls with Mr. Wolf. These books were so popular that they were even turned into a television series for CITV.

Collaborations and Notable Works

Perhaps his most famous book is There's an Awful Lot of Weirdos in Our Neighbourhood. This is a collection of poems he wrote with Allan Ahlberg, published in 1989. Colin McNaughton and Allan Ahlberg worked together on several books. These include three from the Happy Families series: Mr and Mrs Hay the Horse, Miss Brick the Builders' Baby, and Mrs Jolly's Joke Shop.

In 2004, McNaughton also worked with illustrator Satoshi Kitamura to create the book Once Upon an Ordinary School Day.

Colin McNaughton shared his goal for his books: "I suppose what I'm striving for these days, in my books, is to do more with less. I'm looking for that kind of quality that the classic, two minute, pop song has; it's great when you first hear it and it's still great thirty years later. It's a lovely contradiction; it's of the moment but it's also timeless. That's what I'm after." He aims for his books to be simple yet lasting, like a great pop song.

Published Books (Partial List)

Here is a list of some of the books Colin McNaughton has published:

• 1 2 3 And Things
• A B C And Things
• Dracula's Tomb
• Not Last Night But the Night Before (illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark)
• Soccer Crazy
• We're Off to Look for Aliens!
• Here Come the Aliens!
• Captain Abdul's Little Treasure
• If Dinosaurs Were Cats and Dogs
• Potty Poo-poo Wee-wee!
• Once Upon an Ordinary School Day (illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura)
• What Now, Cushie Butterfield
• Lemmy Was a Diver
• Jolly Roger And The Pirates Of Captain Abdul
• She's a Little Cow
• S.W.A.L.K. (Preston Pig)
• Who's Been Sleeping in My Porridge?
• Wish You Were Here (and I Wasn't)
• I'm Talking Big!
• Good News, Bad News
• Oomph!: A Preston Pig Story
• Don't Step on the Crack!
• Little Goal!: A Preston Pig Toddler Book
• Little Oops!: A Preston Pig Toddler Book
• Little Boo!: A Preston Pig Toddler Book
• Little Suddenly!: A Preston Pig Toddler Book
• Mr and Mrs Hay the Horse (written by Allan Ahlberg)
• Miss Brick the Builders' Baby (written by Allan Ahlberg)
• Mrs Jolly's Joke Shop (written by Allan Ahlberg)
• There's an Awful Lot of Weirdos in our Neighbourhood

Awards and Recognition

Colin McNaughton has won several awards for his amazing books:

• He won the British Book Award, Design and Production in 1989 for Jolly Roger. He won it again in 1993 for Making Friends with Frankenstein.
• In 1991, he received the Kurt Maschler Award (also called "the Emil") for Have You Seen Who's Just Moved in Next Door to Us?. This award celebrates books where the words and pictures work perfectly together.
• He won the 1996 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize in the 0–5 years category for his book Oops!.

Other Recognitions

Several of his books were also runners-up or nominated for other awards:

• Jolly Roger was a runner-up for the 1988 Smarties Prize, the W H Smith Illustration Award, and the Kurt Maschler Award.
• Watch Out for the Giant-Killers! won the 1991 Earthworm Award.
• Who's That Banging on the Ceiling was recognized with the 1992 British Book Award, Design and Production.
• Suddenly! was a runner-up for the 1994 Smarties Prize.
• Here Come the Aliens! was nominated for the 1996 Sheffield Children's Book Award and the 1996 Kate Greenaway Medal.